45 h. ago No to Nick Adams: Malaysian activists warn of protests against US envoy pick

Members of Malaysia’s ruling coalition gave their strongest warning yet against the nomination of “alpha male” social media provocateur Nick Adams as America’s new envoy to the Southeast Asian nation, promising on Friday to stage weekly protests should he be sent to Kuala Lumpur as ambassador. Analysts warn the appointment could test Malaysia’s diplomatic pragmatism, as it races to finalise a trade deal with Washington ahead of looming tariff deadlines. The country has been in an uproar after...

Events

48 h. ago Beijing warns Chinese students of security and safety risks in Philippines

Beijing has issued a warning to Chinese students planning to study in the Philippines, its competitor in a highly contentious territorial dispute over the South China Sea, citing recent safety concerns and a string of criminal cases targeting Chinese nationals. In a statement released on Friday, China’s education ministry urged students to “carefully assess security risks” and “strengthen safety awareness” before heading to the Southeast Asian country. “Recently, public security in the...

Events

48 h. ago WeRide launches Southeast Asia’s first fully driverless bus service in Singapore

WeRide, a leading mainland Chinese self-driving technology developer, has launched Southeast Asia’s first fully driverless bus service in Singapore – operating without a safety officer on board. The Robobus, equipped with 360-degree vision and capable of detecting obstacles more than 200 metres away, operates on a fixed 1.2km loop every 12 minutes, connecting three hotels and The Galleria shopping mall on Sentosa island, the company said in a statement on Thursday. The launch followed a...

Transport

4 d. ago Trump’s trade policies drive Hong Kong industry’s ‘China plus N’ shift

Hong Kong’s industrial sector is increasingly adopting a “China plus N” strategy as a primary defence against unpredictable United States trade policies, with about 70 per cent of its members already operating in, or moving to, Southeast Asia, according to a report. Steve Chuang Tzu-hsiung, chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, said that this strategy was a calculated hedge against geopolitical volatility that has been years in the making. “You don’t know which madness [US...

Politics

4 d. ago Trump trade policies driving Hong Kong industry’s ‘China plus N’ shift: study

Hong Kong’s industrial sector is increasingly adopting a “China plus N” strategy as a primary defence against unpredictable United States trade policies, with about 70 per cent of its members already operating in, or moving to, Southeast Asia, according to a report. Steve Chuang Tzu-hsiung, chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, said on Tuesday that this strategy was a calculated hedge against geopolitical volatility that had been years in the making. “You don’t know which madness...

Politics

4 d. ago Trump claims Indonesia trade deal; Bessent says China deal timeline ‘flexible’

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his administration had reached a trade deal with Indonesia, without offering any details about the terms, scope, or timeline, while his Treasury Department chief cut Beijing some slack on the deadline for a final deal with China. “Great deal, for everybody, just made with Indonesia. I dealt directly with their highly respected President. DETAILS TO FOLLOW!!!” Trump said in a social media post. A deal between the US and Southeast Asia’s most populous...

Politics

4 d. ago Trump claims Indonesia trade deal; Bessent calls China deal timeline ‘flexible’

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his administration had reached a trade deal with Indonesia, while his Treasury Department chief cut China some slack on the deadline for a final deal of its own. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said that Indonesia would charge no tariffs on US imports, while exports from the southeast Asian country to America would be subject to a 19 per cent levy. “They are going to pay 19 per cent and we are going to pay nothing ... we...

Politics

6 d. ago ‘Not welcome here’: Malaysia lashes out at ‘Zionist’ US envoy pick Nick Adams

The Trump administration’s selection of Nick Adams, a self-styled “Alpha Male” author and social media provocateur, as the next US ambassador to Malaysia has triggered outrage in the Muslim-majority nation, with critics questioning the motives behind the decision. Washington announced on Thursday that Adams, who has a history of inflammatory remarks, had been selected for the diplomatic post. The decision has prompted alarm among diplomats and Southeast Asian observers, many of whom see...

Politics

8 d. ago Asean leaders renew call to revive stalled peace plan for Myanmar

Southeast Asian leaders have renewed calls to revive a stalled peace plan for Myanmar while urging calm in the South China Sea and backing an immediate ceasefire in Gaza – reflecting the Asean bloc’s cautious efforts to address some of the region’s most pressing security and humanitarian challenges. Their positions were outlined in a sweeping 160-point joint communique issued at the conclusion of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (Asean) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur,...

Politics

8 d. ago Fulfil ‘wish list’ for peace before holding election, Asean urges Myanmar junta

Southeast Asian leaders have called on the Myanmar junta to refrain from holding elections until it satisfies a “wish list” for peace by the country’s stakeholders, as the Asean bloc wraps up a meeting of foreign ministers. In closing remarks on Friday, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations outlined three wishes from parties, including Myanmar’s government in exile and warring factions, amid renewed calls to revive a stalled peace plan. “We are saying that [the election] is not a priority...

Politics

9 d. ago Asean accuses Israel of ‘openly committing genocide’, demands end to Gaza war

Southeast Asian leaders on Friday called on the United States and others to bring a swift end to the Gaza war, accusing Israel of “openly committing genocide” in its assaults on the Palestinian enclave with little consequence. More than 56,000 people, mostly women and children, have reportedly been killed so far under aerial bombings and ground assaults by Israel in its nearly two-year war against Hamas, which has levelled much of Gaza and displaced millions. The war was triggered by a deadly...

Politics

9 d. ago Malaysia warns bilateral talks only avenue for Asean to negotiate US tariffs

Southeast Asia’s plan of presenting a united front on US tariffs appears to have fallen apart, after the region’s diplomatic bloc admitted that its members will have to pursue their own talks with Washington to bring down punishing levies that threaten to sink demand for their vital exports. All but two members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) were served with letters from US President Donald Trump earlier this week, announcing tariffs of between 20 and 40 per cent that will...

Events

9 d. ago Malaysia’s fighter jet deal to ‘quietly’ boost South China Sea defences

The United States’ approval of Malaysia’s purchase of dozens of fighter jets is set to bolster the Southeast Asian country’s air capabilities – especially in the South China Sea – as part of a strategy to “quietly” build deterrence while also preserving cordial ties with China. Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) chief General Tan Sri Asghar Khan Goriman Khan confirmed during a June 17 briefing that Washington had approved Malaysia’s request to acquire up to 33 used F/A-18C/D Hornet fighter jets...

Politics

9 d. ago US secretary of state hints at possible meeting with Chinese foreign minister

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that he was working on a possible sit-down in coming days with China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, on the sidelines of an Asean meeting in Malaysia amid a contentious trade dispute. If realised, the meeting on the periphery of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations conclave would be the first time the two top diplomats will have met in person since Rubio assumed his position in January. Rubio, who also holds the post of national security...

Politics

9 d. ago China blasts ‘immoral’ US trade practices, courts Asean on free trade unity

China’s top diplomat drew sharp contrasts in trade practices between Beijing and Washington as he pressed Southeast Asian countries to protect free trade and not undermine the interests of “the third party” while the region confronts sweeping US tariffs. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called US trade practices “unreasonable and immoral” during a meeting on Thursday in Malaysia with Md. Touhid Hossain, adviser for foreign affairs of the interim government of Bangladesh. “China-Bangladesh...

Events

9 d. ago China backs Southeast Asia nuclear ban; Rubio, Lavrov at ASEAN meeting

China backs Southeast Asia nuclear ban; Rubio, Lavrov at ASEAN meeting  Al Jazeera

Events

1 week ago Rubio assures Malaysia has more time to negotiate US tariffs, Anwar says

Malaysia will have “about a month” to negotiate a better tariff deal with the United States, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said, as the Southeast Asian nation scrambles to bring down punishing levies that threaten to cut growth and ruin businesses reliant on American demand. US President Donald Trump earlier this week revealed he had sent letters to 14 nations announcing tariffs of between 25 and 40 per cent that would take effect from August 1, much of it focused on members of the...

Events

1 week ago China Calls on Southeast Asia to Back Openness as US Levies Loom

China Calls on Southeast Asia to Back Openness as US Levies Loom  Bloomberg

Politics

1 week ago Can catlike US tariffs chase China’s manufacturing mouse out of the Asean maze?

Chinese exporters like Huang Yongxing are desperate for some straight answers so they can start making and shipping goods from their factories in either China or Southeast Asia. And the answers – or at least updates – that Huang does get, he shares on his social media account via weekly updates that have gained traction among owners of small and medium-sized businesses as disruptive and volatile tariff policies out of Washington continue to redraw the profitability lines for manufacturers. They...

Economics

1 week ago ‘Whatever they do is wrong’: Chinese exporters trapped by Trump’s Asean tariffs

Chinese exporters like Huang Yongxing are desperate for some straight answers so they can start making and shipping goods from their factories in either China or Southeast Asia. And the answers – or at least updates – that Huang does get, he shares on his social media account via weekly updates that have gained traction among owners of small and medium-sized businesses as disruptive and volatile tariff policies out of Washington continue to redraw the profitability lines for manufacturers. They...

Politics